Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1887-03-05
ADA BLAKE'S DOWRY.

i IuCdu W 81 oiA ~
shall not take for a life long CON-
panion a poor girl; you may be sure
Of that
These emphatic words were
spoken by Arthur Hayden, the
centre of a group of young men
who were standing on the platform
OF the Cedarville station, waiting
Tor the evening train.
Unobse1ved by them, a man
stood at short distance, cnvelop-
ed in a large overcoat, and with an
umbrella held down closely over
his head, for it was raining last,
and who cast a sharp though fur
tive look at the speaker.
"That don't accord very well
with your frequent visits to Miss
Ada Blake" SAID one, "whose beau
ty is her only dowry."
"Afiss Blakc's beauty don't hap
pen to be her only dowry." respon-
ded Hayden. "Unless Pm very
much mistaken, she has consider
able wealth, and i'll her own right,
too.
"But it seems hardly fair to
bring the young lady's name into
any such discussions" added the
last speaker, with a sudden reserve
Of tone and manner, and moving a
little away from the rest OF the
group.
At this momont the train came
laundering to the depot, and for a
Jew moments all was hurry, hustle
and confusion.
Mr.. Blake, the e1pressagent, and
father of the .1oung lady above al
luded to, took possession OF the
mailbag and packages left by the
train, and leaving them with .sthelI
respective owners, turned his step:
ttow:::si r Ee.; the cottage, where he vel
knew tha5.Ada; so1e 6 {: aagItsg.9 g!
his house and heart, & II s
supper for him. -
AS hc. plodded along through the
rain his mind sadly reverted to the
time when his dying wife commend
ed with her last breath their only
child to his love and projections.
Though no wife was blessed with
better or kinder husband, and
their brief welded life was full OF
sunshine, Mrs. Blake married be-
meath her, so far as wealth and
worldly position was concerned
Her family never forgave her mes
alliance, as they called it; not even
when the grave closed over her
taking no notice whatever Of the
bereaved husband and child.
Perhaps Mr.. Blake thought that
their feelings would relent in time
towards che latter, for, at the cost
OF much toll and personal sacrifice,
he succeeded in giving Ada the
same educational advantages that
her mother enjoyed. Buff he had
entertained any such hope, it died
out long before his daughter reached
the age Of womanhood.
Ada fully satisfied her fathers
fond affection and all the sacrifices
he had made for her. When she
left school and returned to his
pleasant but humble home, it was
to become not only his comfort and
blessing, but his housekeeper as
well.
That cheerful and cosy room, as
clean and neat as Ada's busy
hands could make it, looked very
pleasant to the weary man as be
entered it. A bright fire was burn
ing upon the hearth, and an appe
tizing supper was upon the neatly
spread table, but they could not
wholly drive away the heavy feel
ing at his heart. A vague feaI
came over him, as he kissed his
daughters smiling lips, as if some
heavy sorrow menaced her, from
which even his love could not shield
her.
Leaning back in his easy chair;
his slippered feet resting on the
rug in front of the fire, and his pa
per unopened upon his knee, Mr..
Blake watched his daughter as she
washed and put away the tea
things; the low, soft murmur OF a
happy song. upon her lips as she
fitted from table to cupboard, and
then back again. The softened
beauty ofthe face, upon which his
eyes rested with such a look Of
yearning tenderness, gave him a
new revelation, and which made
his heart ache as he thought of all
to which it might lead.
When everything had been put
away, and a crimson cloth spread
upon the small round table, Ada
wheeled it to the fire, where her
father was sitting, and then placed
her work basket on it, took seal
opposite him.
"There it is again!7 she smiled,
laying her hand upon her fathers
knee. "What are all these long
signs for, wonder2"
"For YOU"
"For Inc; fatherl"
eyes. Don't Arthur Hayden
come to see you pretty often, Ada7'
The soft, faint pink in the cheek:
deepened to the richest crimson.
Yes. But IL thought -yor
knew, andapproved.
$50 | did. | don't know of Z
young man whose appearance,way